About ten minutes into Matthew Schaefer’s first practice as an Islander, just two days after he was drafted and a day after landing in Farmingdale, he made a simple request: “Can I sit down?”
At just 17, everything seems to speed up; it’s hard to take a breath amidst all the chaos lately.
Chatting with Schaefer gives you a glimpse of how the big moments of his life intersect with the familiarity of his smaller world. Amidst the whirlwind, he caught a glimpse of a video capturing the excitement of his draft party back in Stony Creek, Ontario, where his teachers cheered as Gary Bettman announced his name at No. 1.
Then there were the texts—he opened his phone to see messages from stars like Matthew Tkachuk and Conor McDavid. The influx of messages hasn’t slowed down. “I’ve answered a lot, but there are still some I’m yet to get to. They keep coming in,” he remarked, adding with a chuckle, “I should probably just disappear for a bit—I’ve tried to respond to as many as I can.”
He mentioned that Sunday nights were the first time he felt he could actually sleep well after a string of busy days.
As he stepped onto the ice donning an Islanders sweater for his first formal practice—after having done a lot of solo training following a collarbone injury at the World Junior Championship—there were surprisingly no nerves.
A lot was happening around him, but he recalled that it was still his first official practice. “I was just listening, soaking it all in, eager to be back,” he said. “I’ve said this before: hockey players don’t like to just watch. Getting back on the ice with all the gear, playing alongside others—it was exhilarating. I can’t wait to put in the effort like I did over the summer.”
He insisted that making mistakes was not an option now that he’s in New York. “Absolutely, my aim is to stick around,” he asserted. “The draft is fun, but it’s time to get to work. I want to play in the NHL as much as possible, so I’m preparing myself mentally and physically to work hard with the NHL guys throughout the summer. The goal is to be on that opening night roster.”
His light practice on Monday offered some insights into achieving that goal. However, as a first-round pick, starting the season in the NHL isn’t guaranteed. The Islanders’ Blue Line seems open for Schaefer to seize a spot.
This summer, he’s also been training with Adam Perek and Isaiah George. George remarked, “We’ve been working together all summer. He’s a fantastic kid, super humble, and approaches the game professionally. It’s impressive to see how grounded he is despite being the first-round pick. He’s a great skater with sharp awareness on the ice.”
Ultimately, settling into Schaefer’s world means one thing: the Islanders have secured a genuinely talented player.
“It’s fantastic to be drafted; that’s an honor you always treasure. But once it’s in the past, you can’t linger on it too much,” he said. “Sure, it crosses your mind at times, but as you step into camp and focus on hockey, it’s all about forward momentum. Nothing is guaranteed, so the hard work starts now.”
